DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 131 450 CS 003 051

AUTHOR Pearce, C. Glenn TITLE Summaries of Research Studies on Factors Affecting

Reading Comprehension in Business Communication. PUB DATE 75 NOTE 25p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the

American Business Communication Association International Conference (Toronto, Canada, December 1975)

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$1.67 Ptiut Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Business Communication; Communication Skills;

Failure Factors; *Layout (Publications); ListeningComprehension; Literature Reviews; *ReadingComprehension; *Reading Research; Success Factors

ABSTRACT Published and unpublished studies of factors related

to reading comprehension in business communication are briefly summarized. Factors considered include orgánitation of çopy, format and appearance, graphics, distractions, reading time, listening versus reading, reader attributes, and readability. (AA)

SUMMARIES OF RESEARCH STUDIES ON FACTORS AFFECTING READING COMPREHENSION Iii BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

by C. Glenn Pearce, Ph.D.

School of, Business Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmord, Virginia

for American Business Communication Association

International Conference

Toronto, Canada December, 1975

ACKHOWLEDGMECTS

Appreciation is extended to Dr. Howard Jackson, Acting Chairman,

Department of Business Education and Office Administration, School of

Business, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; Dr. Jackson's encourage-

ment and advice during the tenure of the preparation of this manuscript were

invaluable.

Appreciation is also extended to Miss Joyce Uilkins, Secretary,

Department of Business Education and Office' Administration, School of

Business, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. Miss Wilkins typed

the manuscript and supervised the reproduction of copies.

Finally, appreciation is extended to Mr. Clay bight, Graduate Assistant,

Department of business Education and Office Adminjstration, School of

business, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond for assisting in

abstracting several studies included in this manuscript.

FOREWORD

This paper supersedes the paper entitled REVIEW, SUMMARY, AUD A1ALYSIS

OF RESEARCH FINDINGS IN WRITTEN Communication Applicable TO WRITTEN Business

Communication, which was preseed to the American Business Communication

Association, Southeast Region Conference, in April, 1975. Some findings

attributed to Richard. Davis were reported in error in the earlier papar.

To correct this problem, the original studies werd obtained and reviewed,

and Ur. Davis critiqued the April papar.

Summaries OF RESEARCH STUDIES 01 FACTORS AFFECTINGReading Comprehension in Business Communication

Organization of Copy

Headings

Parker' 1962) tested College freshmen on .a 2,000 word passage with a

multiple choice test•and i'ound.that'one-level headings do not contribute

significantly to comprehension. Davis. (1962) tested cóllege freshmen on a

3,800 word passage using three levels of headings and also 'found no

significant differences; Davis followed with a second study (1965), also

using a 3,800 word passage, and confirmed the conclusion of the previous

study.

In a study reported in 1972 (DeVillier), college juniors were tested

with a multiple choice test on a.1,,350 word passage containing one-level

headings. DeVillier's results also showed no°significant differences.

Then, Landrum.(l'974), in a tightly controlled'study, tested college

juniors ón a 1,300 word,passage using a multiple choice test which had been

validated and on which a high correlation coefficient had been obtained (.84).

Landrum found that one-level headings do contribute significantly to reading

comprehension. .Pearce (1974), in collaboration with'landrum, doubled the

length of the reading time,(but in 'every other way duplicated the Landrum study)

and found that headings do not contribute siggificañtly to reading

comprehension on a 3;200 word passage.' These results give reason to believe'

'that the presence of headings as a contributor to comprehensibility may be

a functidn of the length of reading time. If so, apparently the longer the

.reading time, the less likely is tle presence of headings to increase

comprehension.

Paragraphs

Topic Sentences

Parker (1962) found that the use of topic sentences increases compre-

hension}significantly. Parker's subject's were college freshmen who were

tested with a multiple choice examination after reading a.2,000 word passage.

Subjects who were Tested one week later, however, showed no significant

increase in comprehension due to the inclusion of topic sentences.

Length

In a 1952 study, Davis found that short (as opposed to long) paragraphs

increases comprehension significantly for females (but not for males or

engineers).when no introduction is preseat in the passage. The présence or

absence of both an introduction and shorter paragraphs was found to.bbe

detrimental to comprehension. .Davis' subjects, college freshmen, read a

3,300 word technical passage in which short paragraphs averaged 84.5 words

and long paragraphs 792 words.

Inductive or Deductive Arrangement

Landrum (1974) and Pearce (1974) tested the effect on comprehension of

inductive and depbctive paragraph arrangement in it short '(1 1.300 word) and

long (3,200 word) passage, respectively. Landrum's and Pearce's subjects

were college juniors who were tested with a multiple choice examination.

The results of both studies showed no significant differences in compre-

hension between the inductive and the deductive arrangement.

Introductory Material

Parker (1962) tested college freshmen on a 2,000 word passage.with a

\multiple choice test. The results showed that an introductory passage in-

greases comprehension for all linguistic ability levels when compared to a

passage without the introduction. Parker also found that an introductory

passage increases comprehension for subjects with high linguistic ability

when used in combination with topic sentences, headings and concluding "

summaries; and that'an introductory passage increases comprehension for

subjects with average linguistic ability when used in combination with topic

sentences.

Davis (196e) tested college freshmen on a 3,800 word passage, finding

that the presence of a'n introductory passage i,pcreases comprehension for

females but not for males or engineers. The presence or absence of both

an introduction and short paragraphs was detrimental to all groups. A 1965

study by Davis, also testing college freshmen oh a 3,309 word passage, showed

no significant increase in comprehension when an introductory passage was

used._ The conclusion of this 1965 study was further supported by the

results of a 1966 study by Davis.

Schnell (1972) tested college freshmen on a 1,000 word passage using

a multiple choice test. The results of this study showed a significant

increase in comprehension when an introductory passage was present rather

than absent.

Concluding Material

A study by Parker (1962) in which college freshmen read a 2,000 word

passage and took a.multiple choice test showed that the presence of a con-

cluding summary increases immediate recall for all ability levels when,

compared to the absence of such a passage. Further, the results'of this

study showed that comprehension is increased signifidantly for students of

high linguistic ability when a concluding summary is used in combination with

topic sentences, headings and a beginning summary; and for average linguistic

ability súbjects when used in combination with topic sentences and headings.

The presence of this concluding summary did not accompany a significant

increase in comprehension for subjects tested one week later.

Schnell (1972) tested college freshmen on a 1,000 word passage with a

)multiple choice test. The results of this,study showed a significant in-

crease in comprehension for all ability levels when a concluding passage is

present rather than absent. In fact, Schnell founda concluding summary

more effective than an introductory passage used together with a concluding

passage.

Introductory and Concluding Material

The results of a study by Schnell (1972) shoved that the use of both

introductory and concluding material in the same passage increases compre-

hension significantly compared to a passage containing neither type material.

Schnell's subjects were college freshmen who read a 1,000 word narrative

passage and answered questions on a multiple choice test.

Internal Orienting fiaterial

In a 1965 study, Davis discovered that internal orienting material

(information within the reading passage used to orient the reader and indi-

cate the pertinence of given portions of the passage) lowers comprehension

,for "aver4e" subjects with known technical interests. The-inclusion of.the

material showed no effect on comprehenslori,for "bright" subjects with or

without known technical interests or for "below average" subjects with known

technical interests. Davis' subjects were college students who read a 3,800

word technical passage, and then todk a multiple. choice test.

Sentences

Davis conducted two experiments inwhich sentence length was tested as

a variable which might affect comprehension (1969, 1972). Subjects in the

first experiment were college students who read á 3,619 word technical

passage arld then answered questions on a multiple choice test. Sentences

were either long or short: Long sentences averaged 36.9 words, and shirt

sentences averaged 19.67 words. The results showed no difference betwearr

long and short sentences in their effect on comprehension for all audiences

except "bright" males with no known technical inclinations; for this

audience, long sentences were more effective.

In the second experiment (1972) Davis shortened thé reading passage to

2,342 words, allowing more reading time, and tested a similar group of

subjects in a manner like that of the first experiment. This time, the

results showed short sentences to be no more comprehensible than long sen-

tences.for "average," "bright," and "very bright"'subjects.

Report Parts

Three experiments (DeVillier, 1972; Landrum, 1974; Pearce, l9g4) have

been conducted 'n which inductive and deductive-arrangement of report parts

have been Measured for comprehension. Al) studies were conducted with

college juniors as subjects, and all subjects were tested with multiple

choice tests. .UeVillier used a 1,350 word passage, Landrum a 1,300 word

passage, and Pearce a 3,200 word passage. The results of each- of these

studies indicated that neither arrangement is significantly superior as a

contributor to corp'rehension.

Format and Appearance

Corrections, Reproduction, Margins

Four studiet (Davis, 1971, 1974a, 1974b, 1974c) included a.measure

of comprehension in an effort to determine whether poor typewriting

co,'rections, poor reproduction of copy, or irregular margins affect cop-

prehensibility. The first experiment (1071) tested college level students

with a multiple choice examination on a 3,619 word passage. All subjects

were categorized as "bright".to "very bright." One form of the word passage

read by the subjects contained corrections which were undetectable (perfect

copy) in reproduced form; another form contained corrections made. by x-ing out,

running lines through, or inserting words above the Lilie with a caret to

correct errors.

The reproduction var1 ble was treated as•follows: One form of the

word'passage was a clean, neatly reproduced copy another form contained

intentionally dirtied pages, unclean mats before reproduction, thumbprints

on two pages, careless lines across two pages, copy noticeably crooked on

one page, and ink spots on four pages. Then, the margins variable Was treated

as follows: One form. of the•word passage contained a straight left margin

on each page but a uniform right margin. Another form contained occasionally

uneven left margins and raggèd right margins. Tile results of this 1971

experiment showed an uninterpretable interaction effect between corrections

and reproduction for "bright"•young females without known technical inclina-

tis and "very bright" males with known technical inclinations. Scores of

three other audiences showed no differences.

Davis then conducted a second experiment (1974a) using a more exaggerated

'altered form--the•poor corrections were poorer., the reproduction sloppier.

the margins More irregular--to see if a more definite effect on comprehension

could be detected. Subjects for this experiment ani the conditions under

which the examination-was administered were similar to those in the 1971

. study; The passage read by the subjects this time contained ofrly 2,342 words.

The results showed no significant differences.

Dayii (1974b) attempted to determine whether motivation affects per-

formance when corrections,. margins, and réproduction are varied as independent

variables. The results showed no differences when audiences were told that

test performance would not affect, course grades and when audiences were told

nothing. The reading passage and procedure here the same as that in Davis'

1974a study. In retesting these variables under similar circumstances with

similar audiences, Davis .(1974c) again found no significant differences

when audiences were told or were not told beforehand that test performance

would not affect course grades.

Type Size

DeVillier (1972) compared pica (10 point) with elite (12 point) type.

Subjects for. this study were_college juniors who read a 1,350 word passage

and took a multiple choice test. The results showed neither pica ,nor elite

type to be more comprrensible.

Line Spacing

The study DeVlllier reported in 1972 also measured single'line spacing

in comparison with single and one-half line spacing. The results showed

neither variation to be more comprehensible.

Type Style

A study by Kunst (1972) compared five type styles with one another

Times Roman, Memphis, Spartan Medium, Wedding Text, and Linoscript. The

subjects"were high school. sophomores, each,of whom read for one-half hour

from a booklet set in orie of the-five type styles and then took a compre-

hension test. The results showed no type style to be more comprehensible

than any other.

Graphics

Drawings

Davis (1962) tested college freshmen (grouped as engineers, finales, and

'females) with a multiple choice test on 3.,1;00 word technical passage in which

drawings were either present or absent. Comprehension of the copy containing

drawings proved to be significantly higher for all three groups than when

drawings were absent. In 1965 Davis reported a study in which the 1962 study

was repeated for this variable. Subjects, the reading passage, and the

criterion test were similar to. that of the earlier study, but this time

drawings were either absent, used alone; or used together with verbal

descriptions in the copy. The results of this study showed that the presence

of drawings (as opposed to absence) increases comprehension significantly for

"bright" and "average" subjects with known technical interests and for "bright"

subjects without known technical interests. A 1(266 study by Davis showed that

'the presence of drawings increases comprehension for "very bright" males who

are technically inclined and who either have or havve not had technical train-

ing. This audience was similar to those in the 1962 and 1965 studies, and

the same reading passage was, used.

Tables and Figures

Gros (197 1) tested college level subjects with a multiple choice

examination to determine the effect on comprehension of the use of tables

and figures when used alone, when used in conjunction with a narrative

passage, and when absent (narrative passage only). The results,fhowed that

the written and graphic variables used together are more comprehensible

than either used alone.

Distractions (Violating Conventions)

Shifts in Point of View

Davis (1969) measured seven audiences for the effects on comprehension

of shifts in point of view. Audiences read a 3,619 word technical passage

and took a multiple choice examination on the content. Fortyrfour shifts

in person, tense, and mood were introduced into one version of the reading

passage; the other version contained no such shifts. The results showed

significantly increased comprehension at the .01 level for "bright" young

males with no known technical inclinations and. at the .05 level for "bright"

young females with no known technical inclinations. However, comprehension

for "very bright" males with known technical inclinations was increased

significantly at the .05 level when these shifts were present.

. Subject-Verb Agreement

Two experiments by Davis (1969, .1972) -were conducted using college

level subjects who answered questions on a multiple choice examination After

reading a technical description. In each experiment the subject and. verb

either agreed or disagreed. Subjects in the 1969 experiment (all classified

as "bright" or "very bright") reads 3,619 word passage, and the results,

though somewhat inconclusive, showed that subject-verb agreement is not a

variable affecting comprehension. In the second experiment (1972) Davis

shortened the reading. passage to 2,342 words, allowing more time to read

thé passage. This time, the results showed subject-verb agreement not to be

a significant contributor to comprehension.

Expression

Davis (1974c) tested college subjects to determine whether variations

in expression affect' comprehension of a technical reading passage. The

altered form contained 2G misspellings, 14 errors in agreement between subject

wed verb, and comparatively long sentences with unwieldy syntax. The un-

altered form contained none of these errors. The results showed a signifi-

cant effect at the .05--level favoring the unaltered form.

Spelling

In a 1972 study, Davis tested misspelling of words äs a factór which

might affect comprehension. The results of the study showed an .interaction

effect between spelling and shifts"in points of view (shifts in person,

tense, and mood) for "very bright" males with known technical inclinations.

Scores were highest when spelling was corroct and no shifts were made in

point of view.

Length of Reading Time

Pearce (1974), working in conjunction with Landrum,, conducted an

experiment in which college juniors were tested with a multiple choice

examination designed to measure comprehension. Pearce's study, conducted

with and at the same time as Landrum's experiment, was identical to Landrum-;s

study in every respect except for the length of the report read by the

subjects. Landrum's passage. contained 1,300 words; Pearce's containéd

3,200 words. The results of Pearce's study showed that the length of reading

time is a factor affecting comprehension.

Listening

A study conducted by Devito (1965) using college level subjects who

either read or listened-to a 300 word passage (speaker/writer was the same

in each case) showed no difference in comprehension when tested by a cloze

procedure test. The conclusion here is that, given identical circumstances,

neither oral nor writtdn discourse is more comprehensible. Abrams (1966)-

tested high school seniors to determine whether skill'in listening is related

to skill in reading. The Brown-Carlson Listening Comprehension Test was used

to measure listening ability, and the Nelson-Denny Test, Form A, was used

to measure reading skill. The results showed that listening comprehension

and reading comprehension are positively and significantly related.

Horowitz (1968) reported, the results of a series of seven studies con-

ducted over a peribd of eight years designed to determine the nature of the

differences in organization, distortion, structuring, and remembering listened

to material as opposed to read material. The subjects were college level

students; the variable measured was complexity of material varied lexically,

syntactically, and ideologically. Subjects Were asked to either listen to a

tape twice or read a passage twice and then tell or write what wits heard

or read. The data was analyzed for total cognitive units, for omissions,

for distortions, and for additions of units. Some of the pertinent findings

were:' 1) Listeners distort material more than do readers but produce fewer

omissions; 2) listener reproduction is stylistically superior to that of

readers; 3) listeners produce. more Material (including extraneous material),

more signals, and more ideas than readers; 4) readers who speak have lower

scores than readers who write, and listeners, who tn-ite have lower scores

than listeners who speak; and 6) fidelity to the material js highest for

listeners who speak.

Reader Attributes and Abilities

Verbal Ability, Intelligence, Prior Reading Ability

A study by Watson (1971) was designed to determine the relationship

between comprehension and level of verba) ability. College level subjects

were grouped as high, middle, and low in verbal ability and were tested with

a cloze procedure test on a written passage. t!atson's results showed that

subjects with high verbal skills comprehend significantly more of the infor-

mation in the passage than either middle or low verbal groups. These results

indicate that verbal ability is positively related to comprehension ability.

Watson's results confirmed the findings of an earlier study by Parker

(1962), who found that variations in topic sentences, headings, beginning

summaries, and concluding summaries are comprehended differently by high,

middle, and low linguistic ability groups.

Davis(1966) found no differences in comprehension of a 3,800 word

technical passage read by "very bright" college students with technical

interests and both with and without technical training; however, both these

audiences did comprehend the passage better than "bright" males and females

with known technical interests. Further, Davis (19d9) determined that "very

bright" audiences scored significantly higher than did "bright" audiences

on a test similar to that of the l36ú study., Further evidence.revealed

that "very bright" non-technical subjects scored significantly higher than

did "bright" non-technical subjects; also, scores of "bright" males without

known technical inclinations showed no significant differences from those

of "bright" females without known technical inclinations. However, "bright"

young males with technical inciinations.scored no better than did "very

bright" males without technical inclinations.

Davis,(1971) found that "very bright" subjects scored significantly.

higher on atest on the content of a technical passage than did "bright"

subjects. Further, "very bright" subjects with known technical inclinations

scored higher than did "bright" subjects with known technical inclinations.

Davis (1972) found that "very bright" males with known technical

inclinations scored higher on a test of comprehension of a technical passage,

than did "bright" males with known technical inclinations. Moreover, "bright"

males with known technical, inclinations scored higher on the same test than

did "average" males with known technical inclinations.

Davis (1974a) found that "bright" males with known technical inclinations

scored significantly high on a test on the content of a technical passage

than did "average" males with known technical inclinations. Further, "very

bright" males outperformed "bright" males, both groups having known technical

inclinations. Moreover, two audiences of equal ability and equal technical

inclinations showed nó differences in test scores.

A 1972 study by Schnell concluded that the degree of general intelligence

and prior reading ability does not affect performance on a multiple choice

test examining comprehension of a 1,000 word passage in which an organizer

(summary type statement) was placed before, after, and before and after the

mnatn passage. '

Watson's was the only study reported in this section in which-the central

purpose was to measure the independent variable cited. All other findings

of studies in this section are ancillary.

Prior Training

Davis (1971) found no differences in test scores on the content of a

technical passage between "very bright"•males with known technical inclinations

and instruction in technical writing and similar subjects without technical

training.

Interest or Aptitude

. In a 1962 study Davis tested college freshmen with a multiple choice

test on a 3,300 word passage; the results showed that engineers (males)

comprehended this copy, which was of a technical nature, better than did

either males or females who were not engineers.

Using the same reading passage from the 1962 study, Davis (1965) found

that "bright" college students with known technical interests comprehended

the copy better than did "bright" college students without known technical

interests or "average" college students with known technical interests. At

the same time, "bright" college students without known technical interests

and "average" college students with known technical interests comprehended

the passage better than did "below average" college students with known

technical interests.

In a 1969 study, Davis found that subjects'.withltnown technical in-

clinations scored significantly higher on a comprehension test than did

subjects without such known inclinations. All subjects for this study were

classified as "bright" or "very bright"; males and females were included.

Further, this study revealed that "bright" males vith known technical in-

clinations scored significantly higher than did like audiences without known

technical inclinations; this result supports the findings of Davis' 1962

study. As added support to the findings of Davis' 1962 and 1965 studies, the

resultof this study showed that "bright" males with known technical

inclinations scored significantly higher than did "bright" males and females

without known technical inclinations; in the same vein, "very bright" males and

females with known technical inclinations scored significantly higher than did

comparable groups without known technical inclinations.

Davis (1971) found that "bright" and :'very bright" males with known

technical inclinations stored significantly higher on a test after reading

a 3,619 word technical passage than did "bright" males and females without

known technical inclinations. This experiment also showed that "bright"

young males with known technical inclinations scouted higher than did com-

parable aúdiences without known technical'inclinations; further, "bright"

males and females with known technical inclinations scored higher than did

"bright" males and females without known technical inclinations.

Davis (1972) found that "bright" males with known technical inclinations

scored higher on a comprehension test than did "bright" males and females

without known technical inclinations. The reading passage was a technical

descriptions Horeover, no differences between scores were obtained when

"bright" males and females without known technical inclinations were

compared with "average" males with known technical 'inclinations.

Davis (1974a, 1974b) found further support for earlier studies in .

determining that "bright" males with known technical inclinations scored

higher on a test of a technical passage than did "bright" males and, females

without known technical inclinations. Further, (Davis; 1974a) "average" males

with known technical inclinations performed as well as "bright" males and

females without known technical inclinations. floreover, (Davis, 1974b)

"very bright" males with known technical inclinations scored significantly

higher than did "bright" males with known technical inclinations.

All findings in Davis' studies-cited in this section were ancillary to

the primary purpose of the experiments.

Retention

Parker (1962) found that although some combinations of the variables

of topic sentences, headings, beginning summaries and ending summaries in-

creases comprehension significantly for immediate recall, no significant

increases are evident for subjects measured one week later. Parker's sub-

jects were college students.

In a 1970 study, Corrozi attempted to determine the effect of question

format, type of question, and amount -of reading time on both short term and

long term retention. Eleventh grade subjects were asked to read prose

material: Some read unftfhe pressure of time while others were given more

time; some were asked questions about the material before reading, some

after reading, and'some were asked no questions; some subjects were asked

factual questions while others were asked inferential question's. One group

was testedhimmediately, and another group was tested one week later. The

results showed that: Short term retention is improved significantly with

an increased reading time; the placement of questions has no effect as long

as the reading time is fixed (reading under presture); short and long term

retention are improved significantly under a longer reading time when no

questions are asked during the reading time; correct responses to inferential:

questions are significantly greater than correct responses to factual questions

for long term retention; and exposure to inferential questions results in

significantly improved responses for both long and short term retention.

Structure Recognition

Abrams (1966) measured the relationship between reading comprehension

and message structuralization using high school seniors as subjects. Reading

comprehension was measured by the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form A; message

structuralization was measured by the Knower-Goyer Organization Test (a test

which measures skill in recognition of the relationship of outline material

to purpose, and differentiation of significant from insignificant details).

The results showed that the ability to recognize the structure of a written

message correlates significantly and positively with reading comprehension.

Sex

Davis (1962) tested college freshmen with a multiple choice test on a

,3,800 word passage and found no differences in comprehension between males

and females. This finding is supported by a 1971 study by Davis revealing,

no significant differences in test scores between males and females, all

Without known technical inclinations.

National. Origin

Davis (1969) found that "very bright" subjects who speak Australian

English scored as well on a- test on the content of a technical description as

did "very bright" subjects speaking American English. This finding was

ancillary to the primary purpose of the experiment.

Readability

Numerous studies during the past few decades have measured the relation-

ship between readability (as measured by simplification techniques and by

formulas) and reader comprehension. Nolte (1937) tested the effect of

,difficulty of vocabulary on comprehension and found no significant difference

in reading comprehension favoring either of two methods of simplification:

1) Restricting the vocabulary of a passage to the first 2,500 words of

Thorndi e's Book of Twenty Thousand Words or 2) Restricting the vocabulary

to Ogden's Basic Words. Wilsón (1943) prepared a G00 word and a 1,200 word

version of the same passage, the longer version being two grade levels more

difficult. Upon testing subjects, Wilson found the longer, structurally more

difficult version to be more comprehensible. Swanson and Fox (1953) prepared

easier and harder versions (four grade level differential) of articles from a

monthly magazine and found: 1) No difference in comprehension when the

material was read voluntarily, and 2) a significant difference favoring the

easier version when subjects were assigned articles to read.

Klare (1963, pp. 22-23) investigated the effects ón reader pomprehension

of simplified vocabularyin the content areas of 'history, geography, and

social sciences. Thesimplified version showed no significant superiority

to the unaltered version as measured by a comprehension test. .Sch,immer (1971)

experimented to. determine whether increases to 3tylistic difficulty as measured

by readability formulas is related to reading comprehension. The resulj:s

showed no relationship. Matson (1971) designed a study to determine the

relationship of levels of verbal ability (high, middle, low) to the compre-

hension of written material altered for readability. The same material was

written at grades 7, 11, and 1G and tested on junior college students using

a cloze procedure test. The results showed no significant differences among

the three readability levels. Further, the results showed that as readability

level increases, differences beiween verbal ability and comprehension decrease.

References

Book

Klare, George R. THE MEASUREMENT ÓF READABILITY. Ames,• Iowa: Iowa State.University. Press, 1963.

Periodicals

Abrams, Arnold G. The Relation of Listening and Reading Comprehension to Skill in hessage Structuralization. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, 1966, 1G, 116-125.

Chall, Jeanne S. Readability: in Appraisal of Research and Application. BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH MONOGRAMS, Ohio State University, 1958, ilo. 34.

DeVillier, J. Lincoln. Communication Effects of Variations in Organization and Format. AMERICAN BUSL'IESS COEIilUWICATIOEI ASSOCIATIOEI JOURNAL, 1972, 9, 5-13.

DeVito, Joseph A. Comprehension Factors in Oral and Written Discourse of Skilled Communicators. SPEECH MONOGRAPHS, 1965, 32, 124-128.

Horowitz, Wilton W. Organizational Processes Underlying Differences Between Listening and Reading as a Function of Complexity of Material. JOURNAL OF COM MUNICATIOiN, 1963, 18, 37-46.

dolte, Karl F. Simplification of Vocabulary on Comprehension in Reading. ELENEi4TARY ENGLISH REVIEW, 1937, 24, 119-124.

Parker, John P. S me Organizational Variables and Their Effect Upon Comprehension. OURAL OF COMMUNICATIOd,'1962, 12, 27-33.

Swanson, Charles E. and Fox, Harland G. Validity of Readability Formulas. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, 1953, 37, 114-118.

Wilson, Wary C. The Effect of Amplifying Materials on Comprehension. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL EDUCATION, 943, 13, 5-8.

Unpublished Materials

Corrozi, John F. The Effects of Reading Time, Type of Question, and Instructional Format on Short and Long-Term Retention of Relevant and Incidental Prose Material. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Delaware, 1970.

Davis, Richard N. An Experimental Approach to Effective Communications. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, 1962.

Davis, Richard M. Effective Technical Communications Mechanical Description=-

Experiment II. Unliublished manuscript, Air Force Institùte of Technology, 1965.

Davis, Richard M. Effective Technical Communications Mechanical Description--Experiment III. Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute ofTechnology, 1966,.

Dàvis, Richard 1. Effective Technical Conënunicatiùns Expression--Experiment I. Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1969.

Davis, Richard li. Effective Technical Communications Copy Preparation and Reproduction--Experiment I. Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1971.

Davis, Richard 1.• Effective Technical Communications Expression--Experiment II. Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute of .Technology.. 1972.

Davis, Richard M. Effective Technical Communications Copy-Preparation and ' Reproduction--Experiment II. Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute of Technplogy, 1974a.

Davis, Richard il. Effective Technical Communications Copy Preparation and Reproduction--Motivation. .Unpublished manuscript, Airforce Institute of Technology, 1974b.

Davis, Richard H. Effective Technical Communicatiens: expression, Copy Preparation, Motivation. 'Unpublished manuscript, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1974c.

Gros, Ridley Joseph. Determination of the Effectiveness of Selected Organi-zation Communication Techniques. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 1971.

Kunst,. John Robert. Type Styles as Related to Reading Comprehension. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, 1972.

Landrum; Mildred flood. The Effect of Selected Variations in Organization on the Comprehension of a Short Business Memorandum Report in Administrative Communication. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,

'Georgia State University, 1974.

Pearce, Clifton Glenn. The Effect on Reader Comprehension of Orgapization of Report Parts, Organization in, Paragraphing, and Use of Headings in a Long Business Report. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Georgia State University, 1974.

Schnell, Thomas R. The Effects of Organizers on Reading Comprehension of Prose Materials. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois University, 1972.

Schwimmer, Stéphen. The'Re,lattonship of Readability to Reading Comprehension. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Connecticut, 1971.

Watson, Paul Gordon. Readability and Comprehension of Written Instructional Materials in Homogeneous Groupings of Vocational/Technical Students in an Urban Community College. Unpublished doctoral. dissertation, University of Washington, 1971.